Do-drop putter

ABSTRACT

The DO-DROP golf putter is a bent shaft putter, designed to be used with the golfer facing the golf hole. The upper handle assembly will consist of a rotating grip. The lower grip will be fixed. The right-handed golfer will hold the putter with the left hand grasping the rotating handle assembly and the right hand grasping the lower fixed grip. The left hand, which is grasping the handle assembly, will be held against the abdomen. Using the right hand, the golfer will rotate the shaft rearward and then forward to make contact between the putter head and the golf ball. The symmetry of the DO-DROP golf putter enables it to be used by a left-handed person by reversing the hand positions described. By enabling the golfer to face the cup, the proposed invention provides better sight alignment and enables a more natural swing. The invention&#39;s shaft configuration and the rotating grip assembly allow the putter head to smoothly pendulum around the solidly fixed position of the upper grip held firmly against the golfer&#39;s abdomen. This smooth pendulum motion in combination with the fixed upper grip, provide for improved consistency and improved accuracy in putting.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS US Patent Documents

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS U.S. Pat. Documents 760161 May, 1904 Smith. 1616377 February, 1927 Knight. D104642 May, 1937 Sylvester. 2445718 July, 1948 Steinberg. 3182401 May, 1965 Stevens. 3198525 August, 1965 Smith. 3430963 March, 1969 Wozniak et al. 1459426 August, 1969 Sherwood. 3462155 August, 1969 Pelz. 3495834 February, 1970 Tanczos. 3533630 October, 1970 Monaco 473/206. 3663019 May, 1972 Palotsee. 3679207 July, 1972 Florian. 4174838 November, 1979 Paschetto. 4211415 July, 1980 Lindo. 4227694 October, 1980 Drake. 4252317 February, 1981 Vezina. 4789158 December, 1988 Chiesa. 4884813 December, 1989 Cates. 5125657 June, 1992 Beil. 5127650 July, 1992 Schneller. 5152533 October, 1992 Radakovich. 5188361 February, 1993 Coombe. 5308071 May, 1994 Lewis. D349546 August, 1994 MacDougall. 5401022 March, 1995 McCready. 5474300 December, 1995 Scalise et al. D369394 April, 1996 North. 5595385 January, 1997 Jablonski 473/295.

FOREIGN APPLICATION PRIORITY DATA

[0002] Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

[0003] Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX

[0004] Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (PRIOR ART)

[0005] Golf is a game played on a landscaped course generally consisting of 18 holes. Each hole begins with a tee area where players hit the ball into the fairway area. The fairway can vary in length from 150 yards to 600 yards. At the end of each fairway is an area called the putting green. The putting green is a closely groomed grassy area that surrounds the actual hole or “cup” into which the golf ball must be hit or putt to complete the hole.

[0006] A particular type of club called the golf putter is generally used to putt the ball across the green and into the hole. Putter design varies, with most types designed to be used with the golfer facing the ball and with his shoulders and feet perpendicular to the ball path. Grasping the putter in both hands, the golfer positions the putter head near the golf ball and swings the putter first away from the ball (backswing) and then toward the ball (foreswing), impacting the ball and propelling it toward the cup.

[0007] Several putters, enabling straight-forward putting, have been disclosed according to U.S. Pat. No. 3,212,651, U.S. Pat. No. 4,163,554, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,227,694. All such disclosures differ from this patent submission in that they don't incorporate a bent shaft with a rotating upper grip handle assembly.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The DO-DROP golf putter is a bent shaft putter, designed to be used with the golfer facing the golf hole. The upper handle assembly will consist of a rotating grip. The lower grip will be fixed. The right-handed golfer will hold the putter with the left hand grasping the rotating handle assembly and the right hand grasping the lower fixed grip. The left hand, which is grasping the handle assembly, will be held against the abdomen. Using the right hand, the golfer will rotate the shaft rearward and then forward to make contact between the putter head and the golf ball. The symmetry of the DO-DROP golf putter Putter enables it to be used by a left-handed person by reversing the hand positions described.

[0009] By enabling the golfer to face the cup, the proposed invention provides better sight alignment and enables a more natural swing.

[0010] The invention's shaft configuration and the rotating grip assembly allow the putter head to smoothly pendulum around the solidly fixed position of the upper grip held firmly against the golfer's abdomen. This smooth pendulum motion in combination with the fixed upper grip, provide for improved consistency and improved accuracy in putting.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

[0011]FIG. 1 is the assembly drawing of the DO-DROP golf putter. It shows the front view of the putter with all of its components assembled in a complete manner.

[0012]FIG. 2 is the shaft detail on which the remaining components are installed.

[0013]FIG. 3 is the rotating handle assembly, which attaches to the upper portion of the shaft.

[0014]FIG. 4 is the head assembly, which attaches to the lower portion of the shaft.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015]FIG. 1 shows the present invention in its entirety. The invention consists of the shaft shown in FIG. 2, the rotating upper grip assembly shown in FIG. 3, the putter head assembly shown in FIG. 4, and the lower grip shown as Item 7 in FIG. 1.

[0016] The shaft, Item 1, is made of ½″ diameter, soft annealed, ASTM A269, stainless steel tubing with a wall thickness of 0.070″, bent in the configuration shown in FIG. 2. A sideview of the shaft would show it residing in a single plane. (Not Shown)

[0017] The rotating upper grip assembly is shown in FIG. 3. Item 2 of FIG. 3 is the upper grip which is made of a rubber or leather material. This grip slides over the PTFE bushing, Item 4. The PTFE bushing is held in position on the shaft by the thrust collar, Item 5 and the upper grip retainer, Item 3. The thrust collar is an interference fitted sleeve that is pressed over the shaft to a position on the inside portion of the rotating handle. The interference fit locks the thrust collar to the shaft. The thrust collar's outer diameter is the same size as the outer diameter of the PTFE bushing. The bushing is slid onto the shaft until it touches the thrust collar. The edges of the thrust collar and of the PTFE bushing engage one another to keep the bushing from sliding forward on the shaft.

[0018] The upper grip retainer consists of a button head machine screw two metal washers, a rubber washer and a retaining nut. One of the metal washer's outer diameter is larger than the inner diameter of the PTFE bushing, but slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the PTFE bushing. The other metal washer will have an outer diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the shaft. The rubber washer is sandwiched between the two metal washers and the machine screw is inserted through the center of all the washers to form the grip retainer. The nut will be threaded onto the machine screw to hold the grip retainer together.

[0019] The rotating upper grip is assembled by slipping the PTFE bushing over the shaft until it makes contact with the thrust collar. The upper grip retainer is then inserted into the end of the shaft, and pressed inward until the large washer contacts the end of the shaft. The button head screw is then tightened, expanding the rubber washer against the inner surface of the shaft tubing, securing the retainer to the shaft. The upper grip, Item 3 is then slipped over the PTFE bushing and upper grip retainer.

[0020] The Head Assembly, Item 6 of FIG. 4, is constructed of solid brass or a similar metal. The head has a blind bore into which the shaft is pressed. The upper surface of the head has a sight groove cut in it to aid in ball alignment. The front and rear faces of the head are flat so that the putter may be used ambidextrously.

[0021] To use the invention, the right-handed golfer faces the golf cup with the golf ball to his right. Grasping the rotating upper grip with his left hand and holding the grip parallel to the ground, the golfer positions the rotating grip firmly against his abdomen. He grasps the lower grip with his right hand. He places the putter head behind the ball and gently swings the lower part of the shaft rearward. He then reverses the motion, swings the club forward, impacting the ball and sending the ball toward the cup. The club will swing freely or pendulum about the axis through the center of the rotating grip. The left-handed golfer is able to use the club by switching the left and right hand positions as described above. 

1. We claim a golf putter consisting of a horizontal, free-spinning upper handle assembly, mounted on a non-linear shaft, and oriented in a manner that requires the user to stand facing the golf hole while putting with the shaft swinging to the side of his body.
 2. A golf putter according to claim 1, wherein the free-spinning upper handle assembly is comprised of an outer grip that is slid over a low friction bearing material and is retained on the shaft by a thrust collar and an expansion plug type retainer.
 3. A golf putter having a free-spinning upper handle with a low friction bearing material, retained on the shaft at an inner location by a thrust collar, and at an outer location by an expansion plug type grip retainer.
 4. A golf putter according to claim 3 wherein a thrust collar is fixed to the shaft at an inner position of the free-spinning upper handle by means of an interference fit.
 5. A golf putter according to claim 3 wherein the expansion plug type grip retainer is inserted into the end of the shaft and is expanded to hold the free-spinning handle assembly together. 